Bottle cap

ABSTRACT

A bottle cap formed throughout of a single piece of readily deformable, highly stretchable resilient material such as LSR; and comprised of a cap member having a cavity therein with a mouth and an interior surface adapted to receive the neck of a wine bottle therewithin and having a readily deformable resilient closing bead at its mouth for positively engaging the neck of the bottle and securing the cap member thereon. A pair of rings formed integrally with the cap member are carried by opposite exterior sides of the cap member and extend outwardly therefrom, one of said rings being of a larger interior diameter than the other and which is slightly less than the exterior diameter of the exterior lip found on most, if not all, wine bottles. The larger ring is connected to the outer edge of the cap member by a hinge panel which, in its free form, extends horizontally outwardly from the bead at the lower end of the cap and supports the ring and an upstanding stabilizer in the form of a flap. The opposite ring consists of a loop having ends which are spacedly connected to the bead at the lower end of the cap member and is useful in applying the cap member to a bottle and in removing same therefrom, when desired.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] Various bottle caps have been known and utilized widely for manyyears in various forms and have been of many different designs, in aneffort to serve different specific purposes. As a consequence, scores ofpatents have been obtained, and a huge number of terms have beenutilized in seeking to define their novelty. Terms such as beads, pulltabs, latch rings, deformable teeth, inside seals, outside seals, slots,flanges, rims, clamps, coating agents, stoppers, seals, gossets, andtear strips are only a few of such terms which have been utilized inseeking to describe the construction and operation of the devicespatented in scores of patents which have issued on such devices.

[0002] To the best of our knowledge, however, no one has suggested ordesigned a reusable bottle cap which includes integral bottle-neckengaging means and inherent elastic means for facilitating applicationthereof to a bottle-neck and an integral stabilizer for application ofthe cap member to a bottle-neck. Also, no one has conceived of areusable bottle cap which includes a pair of rings or tabs extendingoutwardly at opposite sides of the cap to facilitate the successfulapplication of the bottle cap to a bottle, in order to seal the bottle,or to remove the bottle cap from a sealed bottle. Thus, a need existsfor a simple and inexpensive bottle cap which enables the user to applyand remove the bottle cap, and which successfully self-seals in aneffective manner.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Our invention constitutes a definite improvement in themanufacture and performance of bottle caps, especially those previouslyknown and used by wine drinkers and purveyors. It provides aself-sealing cap which is effective in sealing liquids within a bottle,particularly wines. Since it can be manufactured of solely liquidsilicone rubber, it simplifies the manufacturing procedures and limitsthe number of said procedures markedly, as well as the costs thereof.

[0004] This bottle cap is self-sealing and permits storage of openbottles of wine on their sides, without leakage or loss. It remainsattached to the neck of the wine bottle while wine is being pouredtherefrom, without need for attention. It transfers no color or flavorto the wine or other drinkable liquids while the liquids are storedtherein. It is self-adjusting to bottle-necks of different diameters andautomatically provides a drip-recovering edge during the wine-pouringactivities. In addition, it is relatively inexpensive to bemanufactured.

[0005] Our invention is relatively simple in construction and can bemanufactured in a single injection molding procedure, since the entiremember is made of the same material (LSR) which has an elongation orstretchability factor of at least 200%. As shown, it is comprised of acap member which is of generally cylindrical shape with an open mouthdefined by an annular bead at its lower end, and a closed ceiling, andis designed to self-seal when applied to the top of an open winebottle-neck. The cap member has opposite sides, to one of which arelatively large ring member is secured in spaced relation, by a flat,relatively wide hinge member. A thin upright stabilizer in the form ofan outwardly curved thin sheet is mounted upon the upper surface of thatring member and extends upwardly therefrom, opposite the cap member.

[0006] At the opposite side of the cap member, a tab member in the formof a somewhat smaller ring is secured to the bead at twocircumferentially spaced locations which enables the user to manipulatethe mouth of the bead as required to properly address the open mouth ofthe wine bottle-neck. The spaced locations of attachment to the beadfacilitates such manipulation, so that during application, the mouth ofthe cap member can be maintained in true alignment with the mouth of thewine bottle.

[0007] It should be noted that the lower surfaces of the above two ringsand that of the bead all extend in the same general plane.

[0008] It is an object of our invention to provide a relatively moreeffective bottle cap than has heretofore been known.

[0009] It is also an object of our invention to provide a bottle capwhich is relatively less expensive but more satisfactory when allaspects of comparison are considered.

[0010] A further object is to provide a satisfactory bottle cap which isself-sealing.

[0011] Another object is to provide a bottle cap which willautomatically catch wine drops which frequently drip from the neck of awine bottle after wine has been poured therefrom.

[0012] Another object is to provide a bottle cap which isself-adjustable to bottle-necks of various diameters.

[0013] These and other objects and advantages of the invention will morefully appear from the following description, made in connection with theaccompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to thesame or similar parts throughout the several views, and in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of my invention, taken from above;

[0015]FIG. 2 is a top plan view thereof,

[0016]FIG. 3 is a side elevational view thereof,

[0017]FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of an open wine bottle with oneof our bottle caps applied thereto preparatory to sealing same;

[0018]FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view of the bottle-neck receivingring of one of our bottle caps in its free form;

[0019]FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view of a wine bottle-neck and thebottle-neck receiving ring of one of our bottle caps mounted thereon;and

[0020]FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view of one of our bottle caps,taken along the longitudinal center thereof

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] As shown in the drawings, our invention includes a reusable,plastic, self-sealing bottle cap which is designed to improve theperformance of bottle caps, especially for wine bottles and to minimizethe cost of manufacture thereof. Our bottle cap is designed to self-sealin a highly effective manner and to provide advantages over all bottlecaps previously known. To begin with, we have found a self-sealingbottle cap which will perform in a highly improved manner and can bemanufactured at a reduced cost. It is a single piece elongated itemwhich can be injection molded in a singled-step procedure of liquidsilicone rubber (LSR), which is highly stretchable and imperious toliquids, such as wine. It seals in a highly satisfactory manner andattaches directly to the bottle at all times, irrespective of whether itis in bottle-sealing position or removed therefrom to dispense wine fromthe bottle.

[0022] As shown, our improved bottle cap is comprised of a centrallydisposed cap member 10 which, in its free form, is generally cylindricalin shape, having a closed ceiling 11 at its upper end and an open mouth12 at its lower end. It has a vertical sidewall 13 and opposite verticalsides 13 a and 13 b which terminate at the lower end of the cap memberin an annular bead 14.

[0023] This bead 14, as best shown in the vertical sectional view of thedrawings, has larger thickness dimensions than the thickness of thesidewall 13.

[0024] At the opposite side 13 b of the cap member 10 a thin, flat,relatively broad hinge member 15 is connected to the bead 14 and extendsradially outwardly therefrom as best shown in the vertical sectionalview of FIG. 7. The outer end 15 b of the hinge member 15 is connecteddirectly to a relatively large ring member 16 which has an internaldiameter which is slightly smaller than the exterior diameter of aconventional wine bottle-neck.

[0025] The ring member 16 is designed to be applied to the neck of awine bottle so as to encircle same shortly below the lip which iscarried by most, in not all wine bottles, at a short distance below thewine bottle's mouth. It has a unique cross-sectional shape, as shown inFIG. 7, the vertical sectional view of the drawings. It's lower surface17, in its free form extends horizontally and is planar with the bottomsurface 15 a of the hinge 15 and of the bead 14. The upper surface 18 ofthe ring 16 also extends horizontally in its free form, and thus extendsparallel with the lower surface 17.

[0026] The lower and outer exterior circumferential surface 19 of thering 16 extends vertically while the inner surface 20 extends at 75degrees off horizontal. The axially longer circumferential surface 21 ofthe ring 16 extends at an angle which is 50 degrees off vertical andextends between the top horizontal surface 18 and the vertical surface19. As described hereinafter, the peculiar cross-sectional shape of thelarger ring 16 plays an important part in providing a drip-catchingfunction in conjunction with wine-serving activities. Mounted upon theupper horizontal surface 18 of the ring 16 is an upstanding stabilizer22 in the form of a flap or panel which is concaved to correspond withthe curvature of the wine bottle and ring 16, and is adapted to conformto the exterior shape of the neck of a wine bottle and which whengripped by the index finger of the user when the ring 16 is inencircling relation to the bottle-neck, will stabilize the hinge 15 andthe cap member 10.

[0027] At the opposite side 13 a of the cap member 10, a second ringmember 23 extends outwardly from the bead 14 and is secured, as shown,at spaced locations along the circumference of that bead. This ringmember 23, like ring member 16 has a flat under-surface 24 which extendsin the same plane as the lower flat surface 14 a of the bead 14. Asshown in FIG. 2, the ring 23 utilizes the exterior surface of a portionof bead 14 to complete the ring. The two points of connection thereof tothe bead 14 are each spaced an equal distance from the longitudinalcenter-line of the entire assembly, as shown in FIG. 2, which is a topplan view thereof.

[0028] The smaller ring 23 has a greater thickness than that of thesidewall 13 of the cap member 10 and is connected directly to the bead14 at opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the integrally formedassembly, which includes the cap member 10 and its bead 14, hinge 15,larger ring 16 and smaller ring 23. It is somewhat less in its innerdiameter than the exterior diameter of the average wine bottle neck.

[0029] The ring 23 is an improved form of a tab because of itsconstruction and spaced points of attachment to the bead 14 adjacent themouth of the cap member 10 at two circumferentially spaced locations,thereby enabling the user to manipulate spaced portions of the bead 14in the event the area surrounding one point of attachment of the ring 23progresses ahead of the other, or to one side of the mouth of the winebottle, as sometimes occurs in the application of a cap member 10 to awine bottle to be closed. If the user carelessly fails to align the capmember directly opposite the centerline of the neck of the wine bottle,the bead 14 may tend to slip somewhat sidewise as it is applied to theopen-mouth bottle. In that event, the advantage of the connection of theoutermost portions of the ring 23 to the bead 14 at locations disposedat each side of said centerline come into play, for the user can readilydraw the cap member 10 and bead member 14 back into alignment with themouth of the bottle by increasing the extent of draw applied to the ring23 at that side of the ring. In this manner, the application of the capmember 10 to the bottle-neck may be facilitated, for then the bead 14 ofcap member 10 will readily slip downwardly over the lip of the bottleinto sealing position.

[0030] As shown the smaller ring 23 has a horizontal under-surface 24and a horizontal upper surface 25. Its radial thickness is 0.100″. Asshown in the drawings, the ring 23 is generally horseshoe-shaped andmeasures roughly 0.600″-0.700″ between its points of juncture with thebead 14. Each of its radially spaced surfaces 26 and 27 extendvertically. The sidewall 13 and ceiling 11 of the cap member 10 are eachformed of LSR and are 0.020″ thick. The annular bead 14 has an internaldiameter of approximately 0.900″ and extends along and below the lowerend of the sidewall 13. As shown, the bead 14 has a diameter whichextends inwardly of the inner surface 13 c of the sidewall 13 only adistance adequate to securely fasten the cap member 10 to the neck of awine bottle of conventional diameter. As shown, the outermost surface 14b of the bead 14 is vertical except where the hinge member 15 isconnected thereto. The lowest surface 14 a of the bead 14 is acontinuation of the lowest surfaces of the smaller ring 23, the hingemember 15 and the larger ring 16, since each of said surfaces extend inthe same plane when in their free form.

[0031] The exterior circumferential surface 14 b of the bead 14, in itsfree form, extends vertically upwardly throughout its circumferentiallength except for the area at which the hinge member 15 is attachedthereto. The upper surface of the bead 14 is connected throughout itscircumferential length to the lower annular edge of the sidewall 13, Theinner surface 14 c of the bead, which defines the interior diameter ofthe bead 14, is arcuate in shape and has a radius approximating 0.030″.

[0032] The hinge member 15 emanates from the exterior surface 14 b atone side of the bead 14, as shown in the drawings. As shown in the planview and the vertical sectional view, it is comprised of a flat strip ofthe LSR material extending from the exterior surface 14 b of bead 14 tothe larger ring 16. The under-surface 15 a of the hinge extendsco-planar with the under surfaces of the cap member 10 and surface 24 ofsmaller ring 23. The outer end of the hinge member 15 is connecteddirectly to the larger ring 16 and supports same. The hinge member isflat and relatively thin and 0.700″ wide, as best shown in the plan viewof the drawings. Its outer end 15 b is arcuate in shape and is connecteddirectly to the outer circumferential portions 16 a of the larger ring16, as a continuation of the LSR molding.

[0033] The ring member 16 has a diameter slightly greater than that ofthe cap member 10. It has an internal diameter of 1.050″ and an externaldiameter of 1.150″. Its under-surface 17 is co-planar with theundersurfaces of the hinge member 15, the bead 14 and ring 23. Itscircumferential surface is divided between a lower verticalcircumferential surface 19 and an upper circumferential surface 21, thelatter of which slopes at a 50 degree angle to the surface 19. Its topsurface 18 extends horizontally. Its inner circumferential surface 20extends at an angle of 75 degrees off horizontal. It is surface 18 whichmodifies and converts into the drip collector, as described hereinafter.

[0034] As shown, the inner diameter of the bead 14 is slightly less thanthat of the inner surface 13 c of bottle cap 10. Its inner diameter isalso slightly less than the exterior diameter of the lip 28 of aconventional wine bottle. As a consequence, the bead 14 can be readilystretched so as to slip over the open end of a wine bottle and the lipthereof, and then tighten over the portions of the wine bottle-neckimmediately below its lip and seal therearound. As shown, the bead 14 is0.900″ in its free form internal diameter.

[0035] The preferred range of hardness of the LSR material from whichour improved bottle cap is manufactured is about 40-60 Shore A. Weprefer to utilize LSR having a Shore A value of 50. The outer range ofLSR suitable for use in the manufacture of our improved bottle cap is5-80 Shore A. The inner diameter of the bottle cap 10 is slightly lessthan the exterior diameter of the bottle neck of a conventional winebottle immediately below the lip of the bottle neck.

[0036] The radius of the arcuate portions of the ring 23 is 0.300″. Thedistance from the centerline of the bottle cap 10 and the outer surfaceof ring 23, taken along the longitudinal centerline of the entiremolding as disclosed herein is 1.000″. The vertical thickness of thehinge 15 is 0.040″. The overall length of the entire molded assembly is2.995″. The radial thickness of the ring 16 is 0.100″ and the diameterof its interior is 1.050″.

[0037] As shown in the drawings, the claimed bottle cap includes anupstanding stabilizer 22 which is mounted upon the upper surface 15 c ofhinge 15 at the outer end of the latter. It is curved in its horizontalsectional form to conform with the curvature of the inner surface 16 aof ring 16 and extends upwardly 0.50″.

[0038] The above bottle cap is unique in both structure and operation.The two rings at opposite sides of the cap member supplement each other.To utilize same, the ring 16 is applied to the mouth area of a winebottle which may or may not have been previously opened, with the mouth12 of the bottle cap 10 facing upwardly. In doing so, the dependingstabilizer 22 conforms to and bears against the neck of the bottle andthe thin cap member 10 with its mouth facing upwardly; is ready forcapping the wine bottle when same is desired.

[0039] Once the bottle of wine has been opened, our bottle cap 10remains attached at all times to the bottle-neck, as described above. Atthe termination or interruption of the wine-pouring activities, it is asimple procedure to move the bottle cap 10 into closing position overthe open wine bottle-neck. It can be accomplished by merely grasping thewine bottle neck, with the index finger of one hand, around thestabilizer 22 and wine bottle-neck, and grasping the other ring 23 withthe fingers of the other hand, and bringing the mouth of the cap member10 into closing position over the mouth of the wine bottle-neck, untilthe bead 14 passes downwardly over and beyond the lip 28 of thebottle-neck 29, which is the position in which the bead 14 of the bottlecap member 10 effectively seals the bottle-neck 29. Thereafter, ifdeemed desirable, the wine may be stored in the sealed bottle, on itsside, indefinitely and without loss of wine.

[0040] In the event that the user does not draw our bottle cap directlyover the mouth of the bottle-neck 29, it can be readily re-aligned bythe user applying a greater pull upon the side of the ring 23 which hasfailed to draw the bead of the bottle cap directly over the open bottleneck. In this manner, the widely spaced single points of attachment ofthe ring 23 to the bead 14 greatly facilitates the correct alignment ofthe mouth of the bottle cap 10 with the mouth of the bottle neck 29.From this position, the bottle cap 10 can readily be moved downwardlyinto sealing position below the lip 28.

[0041]FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate how the ring 16 functions to perform thedrip collection referred to hereinabove. FIG. 5 shows thecross-sectional shape of the ring 16 in its inverted free form prior toits application to the bottle-neck of a wine bottle. As shown in FIG. 7,the opening in bottom surface 17 is of a larger diameter than theopening in upper surface 18. When the ring 16 is applied to a winebottle in inverted condition, as shown in FIG. 6, the narrower openingin inverted upper surface 18 is stretched to a greater extent than thelarger opening in inverted lower surface 17, which distorts thecross-sectional shape of ring 16 and in doing so, causes the outer edge30 of the inverted lower surface 17 to swing upwardly toward the mouthof the bottle, thereby creating a drip-catching groove 31 at the loweredge of the lip 28 of the wine bottle. This obviates the well-known dripproblem which waiters have in pouring wine for their customers.

[0042] Wherever herein we utilize the term “plastic,” that term is beingutilized in its descriptive sense only.

[0043] It will, of course, be understood that various changes may bemade in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the partswithout departing from the scope of the invention which comprises thematter shown and described herein and set forth in the appended claims.

1. A reusable, plastic, self-sealing, bottle cap comprising: (a) acentrally disposed cap member having an inner surface, a bottle-neckreceiving cavity and mouth, and opposite sides; (b) said cap memberincluding a deformable, resilient, annular bead carried thereby andextending inwardly therefrom adjacent said mouth in bottle-neck-engagingposition; (c) a pair of ring members, each of which is connected to adifferent opposite side of said cap member, and extends outwardlytherefrom in different directions to thereby facilitate the applicationof said cap member to, and the removal from, a bottle-neck in sealingand non-sealing relation, respectively; (d) each of said ring members,bead and cap member being integral and comprised of a highly-elasticmaterial.
 2. The bottle cap defined in claim 1, and a hinge membercarried by said bead and extending between said bead and one of saidring members in supporting relation to said cap member.
 3. The bottlecap defined in claim 1, wherein said bead and said ring members extend,in their free form, in the same generally horizontal plane.
 4. Thebottle cap defined in claim 1, wherein said pair of ring members andsaid bead, in their free form, extend in the same generally horizontalplane and said cap member extends upwardly from said bead.
 5. Theself-sealing bottle cap defined in claim 1, wherein one of said ringmembers is constructed and arranged to receive the neck of a wine bottletherethrough and thereby mount said cap member upon the neck adjacentthe mouth of the wine bottle for mouth-closing application thereto. 6.The self-sealing bottle cap defined in claim 1, wherein one of said ringmembers is connected to one side of said cap member and arranged toreceive the neck of a wine bottle therethrough and thereby mount saidcap member upon that neck adjacent the mouth of the wine bottle formouth-closing application thereto, and the other of said ring members isconnected to the opposite side of said cap member to facilitate theclosing application of the cap member to the mouth of the bottle.
 7. Thebottle cap defined in claim 1, and a stabilizer carried by one of saidring members and extending in its free form upwardly away therefrom. 8.The bottle cap defined in claim 1, wherein one of said ring members isconstructed and arranged to engage a wine bottle neck in supportedrelation, and a hinge member extending radially outwardly from said beadin supporting relation to said wine bottle neck-engaging ring member. 9.The bottle cap defined in claim 1, wherein one of said ring members ispositioned and connected to said bead to constitute a tab forfacilitating the closing application of said cap member to the neck of awine bottle and the removal therefrom.
 10. A reusable, all-plastic,self-sealing bottle cap comprising: (a) a cap member comprisedthroughout of thin, highly-elastic material and having opposite sides, abottle-neck receiving cavity, and a mouth; (b) a ring member integralwith said cap member and of the same material as said cap member; (c)said ring member carrying said cap member and extending outwardlytherefrom; (d) said ring member being constructed to receive the neck ofa bottle of wine therewithin in tight-fitting supported relation; and(e) a tab member connected to said cap member and extending outwardlytherefrom to facilitate the closing of such a bottle with said capmember.
 11. The bottle cap defined in claim 10, wherein said tab memberis connected to said cap member at two separate circumferentially spacedlocations thereon.
 12. The bottle cap defined in claim 10, and a hingemember carried by said ring member and extending between said cap memberand said ring member.
 13. The bottle cap defined in claim 10, whereinsaid tab member is connected to said cap member at two separatecircumferentially spaced locations thereon, and a hinge member carriedby said ring member and extending between said cap member and said ringmember.
 14. The bottle cap defined in claim 10, and a stabilizer carriedby said ring member and being integral with said cap member and saidring member and extending away from the general plane of said ringmember.
 15. The bottle cap defined in claim 10, wherein said ring memberand said tab member extend in the same general plane.
 16. The bottle capdefined in claim 10, wherein said ring member is connected to said capmember by a hinge member extending therebetween.
 17. The bottle capdefined in claim 10, wherein a flat, thin hinge member extends betweensaid ring member and said cap member.
 18. The bottle cap defined inclaim 10, wherein said cap member includes a bead at its lower end andsaid tab member is connected directly to said bead at spaced locations.19. The bottle cap defined in claim 10, wherein said cap member includesa bead at its lower end and said tab member is connected directly tosaid bead at locations spaced circumferentially of said bead.
 20. Areusable, all-plastic, self-sealing bottle cap comprising: (a) a capmember comprised throughout of thin, highly-elastic material and havingopposite sides; (b) a pair of spaced ring members being integral withsaid cap member and of the same material as said cap member; (c) each ofsaid ring members being carried by said cap member and extendingoutwardly from one of said opposite sides; (d) one of said ring membersbeing constructed and arranged to be applied to the neck of a bottle insupporting relation to said cap member; and (e) the other of said ringmembers being positioned relative to said cap member to facilitate theapplication of said cap member to bottle-closing position.
 21. Areusable, all-plastic, self-sealing bottle cap comprising: (a) a bottlecap member comprised throughout of thin, highly elastic material; (b) aring member integral with said bottle cap member and of the samematerial as said bottle cap member; (c) said ring member being carriedby said bottle cap member and extending outwardly therefrom; (d) saidring member being adapted to be applied to the neck of a bottle inbottle-neck encircling relation to thereby support said bottle capmember upon the neck of a bottle in position to be swung over the mouthof such a bottle and moved downwardly thereover into bottle-closingposition; and (e) a stabilizer member integral with said bottle capmember said ring member and carried by said ring member and extendingdownwardly therefrom, when said ring member is applied to the neck of abottle, into stabilizing position for facilitating the application ofsaid bottle cap member to the mouth of a bottle into bottle-closingposition.